Stitchless wallet made from a single piece

ABSTRACT

A single piece of leather, or the like, is cut into a pattern and folded to form a wallet which requires no seams or stitching. The wallet has two separate currency pockets each with over-flap separators and has a pair of opposed inner slide pockets for receiving cards or folder-flaps.

United States Patent Skeba STITCHLESS WALLET MADE FROM A SINGLE PIECE Sept. 9, 1975 [76] Inventor: Stanley A. Skeha, c/o US. Soldiers Primary E.ruminerWilliam l. Price Home, Sheridan Bldg No. 4210, Asxisranr ExaminerStephen P. Garbe Washington, DC. 20317 Attorney, Agent, or FirmLaurence R. Brown [22] Filed: May 22, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 472,342 [57] ABSTRACT A single piece of leather, or the like. is cut into a pat- 2i iis gz tern and folded to form a wallet which requires no i 32 38 scams or stitching. The wallet has two separate cur- I 1 le 0 earc rency pockets each with over-flap separators and has a References Cited pair of opposed inner slide pockets for receiving cards or folder-Fla s. UNITED STATES PATENTS p 2.505994 5/[950 Sahula l. 150/32 X 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures J P f L V X 12 r L- 'T- i 35 18 1 l r L L I J A I PATENTED SE? 9 975 I j ,12 L A STITCHLESS WALLET MApEFRoM A'SINGLE PIECE t This invention relates to wallets and more particu larly it relates to wallets made from a single piece of material. Q

Wallets of the prior art type have been formed from different kinds of materials having an outer-casing of leather, for example, with inner fabric inserts sewn to the leather. Even when formed entirely of leather, the wallets are formed from different pieces of leather sewn together.

In such prior art wallets the stitching of heavy leather, for example, is, difficult and costly and stitches constitutes a weakness because they are generally first to wear and fail. Also, the construction may look shabby because of irregular stitching lines and improper matching of different pieces being sewn together.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a wallet having no stitching and fashioned out of a single piece of leather, or the like.

Thus, in accordance with the invention a generally T-shaped pattern is cut out of a single piece of wallet material, with two arms of the T constituting interlock ing flaps extending from the body portion for holding the material in the shape of a wallet when the body portion of the material is folded over into wallet shape.

Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be made clear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, which refers to the accompanying drawing, wherein FIGS. 1 and 2 are respectively inside and outside views of an assembled wallet; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a single piece of wallet material from which the wallet of FIGS. 1 and 2 is folded and interlocked without any sewing or stitching, wherein the fold lines are shown as dotted lines.

As may be seen from the drawing, the wallet of FIGS. 1 and 2 has two currency pockets 4, 5 opening from opposite directions and provides a pair of slide pockets 6, 7 for receiving cards or folder insert flaps. In each currency pocket a pair of flaps 8-9 and ll 1 may be seen folded inwardly into the main pockets 4, 5. These flaps can serve to separate currency from the main pockets 4, and retain it in position. A further flap folded over inside the outer rim 12 from the outside cover region 15 may constitute a secret" compartment if desired completely obscuring currency between the flap and the cover. The slide pockets may have indented notches 16, 17 to provide access for ends of cards filed in the slide pockets 6 and 7.

In FIG. 3, various panels and fold lines are identified by the same numerals as in FIGS. 1 and 2 for ready reference.

The wallet forming material blank shown in FIG. 3 is cut out of a single piece of leather, or other like wallet material, in a generally T-shaped pattern having a main body section 20 with extending opposite arms 21, 22 which form interlocking flap members. Four notches 25 are provided in the flap members to permit each flap member 8, 9, 10, 11 or 26 to be individually folded out from the respective currency pockets 4 and 5 when the wallet is folded together. When the dimensions of the pattern are approximately 18 inches wide arm to arm and 12 inches tall, the pattern forms a wallet approximately 9 inches in lengthand three inches wide.

To assemble the wallet folds are made along the various dotted lines. Thus a first fold is made on line 12. Assume the treated leather side is down, the upper flaps 8, 26 and 9 are folded up and on top of the remainder of the pattern.

Next the material is folded at line 30 upwardly. Preferably the dimensions of the flaps 8, 9, l0 and 11 are such that they overlap after this folding operation. After each fold the leather may be stamped or creased sharply in place to retain the fold either by hand or with a tool.

The third fold is made at line 31. The panel on opposite sides of line 31 will have its treated side up before the fold, and the end flap 32 then is folded to lie over the panel 33 with the side now shown upward, and which may be untreated leather, on top.

The next two folds are made successively at lines 34 and 35 upwardly and toward the center body portion of the T-shaped pattern. When making this foldover flaps 8, 9, l0 and 11 serve as interlocking members to hold the wallet in its final assembled form. Thus, flaps l0 and l l are stuffed under flap 32 and on top of intermediate panel 36 in position on top of the outer wallet panel 33. Then panels 37 and 38 substantially cover panel 32 as seen in FIG. 1, and pocket 5 as seen in FIG. 2 is formed with flaps l0 and ll available for separating the compartment into two different parts so that currency can be held therebehind if desired. Because of the notches 25 hereinbefore described, the flaps l0 and 11 may be individually lifted for this purpose. In pocket 5, only one flap covered section is provided for two different compartment sections, but in the opposite pocket 4 there are flap portions on both sides of the pocket to make three different compartment sections two of which can stow currency beneath the folded flaps.

Similarly, therefore upper flaps 8 and 9 are folded in interlocking position on top of flap 26 and adjacent to panel 36, thereby forming pocket 4 with its three sections. If flap 26 is extended it can reach to the bottom of the wallet at line 30 and thus form a secret compartment behind the flap 26.

The last fold is along center line 40 which is made through four thicknesses of leather and thus is not a sharp crease but constitutes the conventional wallet fold to make a mans pocket sized final configuration.

It is to be recognized that the teachings of this invention that a wallet may be formed from a single folded pattern sheet of material without stitching may lead others to vary size, shape and features of wallets without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A wallet constructed from a single piece of material having a substantially T-shaped flap sheet pattern with a central main body section and two opposite arms extending from opposite sides thereof, the wallet com prising said sheet interfolded along a first pair of fold lines a each of which foldably connects said body section to one of said arms, said body section comprising, (1) an end flap, (2) an intermediate panel and (3) an outer wallet panel intermediate said arms, a second pair of fold lines extending through said arms and said body section and extending on opposite sides of said outer wallet panel, said second pair of fold lines defining on each arm a pair of opposed interlocking flap members, said two panels and said end flap being in folded relationship with each other with said intermediate panel positioned between said wallet panel and said end flap, said two panels and said flap forming two currency holding pockets which face in opposite directions and are located respectively on opposite sides of said intermediate panel, each of said arms overlying substantially half of said end flap and forming a slide pocket therebetween, each of said arms being connected to said outer wallet panel by a fold line therebetween, each of said interlocking flap members on each arm being positioned in its respective currency holding pocket.

2. A wallet as defined in claim 1 having an upper flap connected to said outer wallet panel by a fold line and extending into one of said currency holding pockets, 

1. A wallet constructed from a single piece of material having a substantially T-shaped flap sheet pattern with a central main body section and two opposite arms extending from opposite sides thereof, the wallet comprising said sheet interfolded along a first pair of fold lines a each of which foldably connects said body section to one of said arms, said body section comprising, (1) an end flap, (2) an intermediate panel and (3) an outer wallet panel intermediate said arms, a second pair of fold lines extending through said arms and said body section and extending on opposite sides of said outer wallet panel, said second pair of fold lines defining on each arm a pair of opposed interlocking flap members, said two panels and said end flap being in folded relationship with each other with said intermediate panel positioned between said wallet panel and said end flap, said two panels and said flap forming two currency holding pockets which face in opposite directions and are located respectively on opposite sides of said intermediate panel, each of said arms overlying substantially half of said end flap and forming a slide pocket therebetween, each of said arms being connected to said outer wallet panel by a fold line therebetween, each of said interlocking flap mEmbers on each arm being positioned in its respective currency holding pocket.
 2. A wallet as defined in claim 1 having an upper flap connected to said outer wallet panel by a fold line and extending into one of said currency holding pockets, said wallet panel and said upper flap forming a secret compartment into which currency may be inserted and separated from other currency in said one of said pockets.
 3. A wallet as defined in claim 1 wherein said interlocking flap members extend into said currency holding pockets substantially to the bottom of said pockets and form secret compartments behind the interlocking flap members.
 4. A wallet as defined in claim 1 devoid of fasteners, said interlocking flap members constituting the sole means holding said single piece of material in assembled wallet form. 